Plumber&#39;s roughing-in appliance



April 12, 1966 R. c. MORROW PLUMBERS ROUGHING-IN APPLIANCE Filed March11, 1963 FIG. 3

INVENTOR ROBERT C. MORROW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,245,643PLUMBERS ROUGHING-IN APPLIANCE Robert C. Morrow, 2174 Bridge St.,Paducah, Ky. Filed Mar. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 264,392 6 Claims. (Cl.248-68) This invention relates to an appliance for the use of plumbers.

Its object is to provide a simple, inexpensive and eflicient means fortemporarily holding the terminal ends of hot and cold water pipes in theposition in which the plumber leaves them after they have been roughedin and until the time arrives for connecting them to the faucets of thefixture, such as a wash basin for example, which they are to serve.

Much annoyance, loss of time and expense is experienced by plumbers, whoafter careful measurements, have left the terminal ends of hot and coldwater pipes in the proper position for connection to a fixture, only tofind, upon their return at a later date to set the fixture, that suchterminal ends have been knocked out of position by the interveningactivities of other artisans such as carpenters or electricians. Theseartisans are primarily concerned with the most expeditious way ofcompleting their own work and they are inclined to push aside anythingwhich is in their way.

The present invention provides means connectable to a stout and noteasily moved element, such as the waste pipe of the fixture, said meanscarrying easily placed, adjustable elements which receive the terminalends of the roughed in pipes and hold them in position until the plumberis ready to install the fixture.

The construction and operation of the appliance will be best understoodby reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the appliance showing it mounted upon awaste pipe.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view upon line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing amodified form of the invention.

In most plumbing installations the underground sewer lines with theupstanding waste lines leading thereinto are among the first plumbingelements to be installed. In

the drawing 5 designates a conventional, horizontally projecting pipesection forming a part of the waste line. These waste pipes are usuallyrelatively large in diameter and are thus rigid enough to resist beingeasily pushed out of place. Clamped upon pipe 5 is a two part clampcomprising a bowed top member 6, bowed bottom member 7 and tighteningbolts 8, of conventional form. Projecting upwardly from top member 6 isa vertical, plate like riser 9 which riser has a vertical slot 10 formedtherein. A carriage bolt 11 of a conventional type has a squared portion11 which engages in the vertical slot 10 and is thereby held againstturning. This squared portion of the bolt also extends throughhorizontal slot 12 that is formed in a transverse head plate 13. Thusthe riser 9 and head plate 13 are bound together and held in T shapedformation by the carriage bolt when its nut 11 is tightened, but thehead plate may be vertically adjusted along slot 10 of the riser whensaid nut is loosened. Likewise slot 12 permits limited adjustment of thehead plate across the riser. Openings for the reception of the ter-3,245,643 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 "ice minal portions of the roughed inhot and cold water pipes are shown at 14 and 15. Weakening cuts are madeat 16 to provide knock-outs 17 by which the sizes of the openings may bechanged from diameters of inches, the size used when copper pipe isbeing installed, to 1% inches, the size used when galvanized pipe isbeing installed.

FIG. 3 is added to the drawing merely to illustrate that the verticalriser may be in the form of a rod. Here a square rod 25 is shownupstanding from the top clamp member 6. A set screw 21 binds a slidablesleeve 20 in any position of vertical adjustment on rod 25. Sleeve 20carries a head plate 22 which corresponds to plate 13.

This application discloses a modification of the disclosure of my priorapplication 242,883 which issued as US. Patent 3,097,843 on July 16,1963.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction disclosed, but that it includes within its purview whateverchanges fairly fall within either the terms or the spirit of theappended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A roughing in appliance of the character described, comprising astructure of general T-shape consisting of a vertical riser, apipe-engaging clamp at the lower end of said riser constructed to holdthe riser in fixed position with respect to a conventional plumbingfixture waste pipe, a transverse head plate having openingstherethrough, adjacent its opposite ends for the reception of roughed-inservice pipes and means for binding the head plate to said riser.

2. A structure as recited in claim 1, including means for mounting thehead plate for vertical adjustment upon the riser.

3. A structure as recited in claim 1, in combination with means formounting the head plate for vertical adjustment upon the riser and forholding the head plate at substantially right angles with respect to theriser in all positions of vertical adjustment of the riser.

4. A structure as recited in claim 1, in combination with means formounting the head plate for vertical adjustment upon the riser and forholding the head plate at substantially right angles with respect to theriser in all positions of vertical adjustment of the head plate, saidmeans comprising an elongated vertical slot in the riser, and anelongated horizontal slot in the head plate, and a binding bolt passingthrough both 'of said slots comprising portions engageable in said slotswhich hold the head plate from turning out of perpendicular positionwith respect to the riser but permit endwise movement of the head plateacross said riser.

5. A structure as recited in claim 1 wherein means are provided forreadily changing the diameters of said openings.

6. A structure as recited in claim 1 wherein the means for binding thehead plate to the riser comprises elongated slots formed in both thehead plate and riser and a tightening carriage bolt extending throughboth of said slots, said bolt having a squared portion engageable inboth of said slots, the slot of the head plate permitting endwisemovement of the head plate across the riser when the bolt is loosenedand the slot of the riser permitting vertical adjustment of the headplate along the height of the riser when said bolt is loosened, thetightening of said bolt binding the head plate and riser into rigid Tformation throughout all position of adjustment of the head plate andriser.

UNITED References Cited by the Examiner STATES PATENTS 4 Burnett 248-56Danly 248-226.1 Kilgour 248-498 Woller 248295 X Ruff 24874 X Schreibman21189 X Nelson et a1 248313 X Abbott 248-287 X CLAUDE A. LE ROY, PrimaryExaminer.

1. A ROUGHING IN APPLIANCE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING ASTRUCTURE OF GENERAL T-SHAPE CONSISTING OF A VERTICAL RISER, APIPE-ENGAGING CLAMP AT THE LOWER END OF SAID RISER CONSTRUCTED TO HOLDTHE RISER IN FIXED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO A CONVENTIONAL PLUMBINGFIXTURE WASTE PIPE, A TRANSVERSE HEAD PLATE HAVING COMPRISINGTHERETHROUGH,